Washington, D.C.--The following is a statement from Rep. Eliot Engel regarding the New York State Assembly’s passage of same sex marriage legislation.

“I applaud the decision by the New York State Assembly to pass legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State. The measure easily passed by an vote of 89-52. I urge the State Senate to follow suit and deliver the bill to Governor Paterson for his signature. Everyone deserves equal rights under the law, and the LGBT Community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) has been unable to have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else for far too long. It is a matter of basic human rights.

"As I have said many times before, I don’t see how anyone else’s marriage is threatened by two people who want to have a stable relationship. I hope New York State makes the right decision and joins Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont as states that provide equal rights to all of their residents.”